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DARPA is seeking state-of-the-art virtual models, simulation meshes, and robot controllers for vehicles, sensors, and/or environments for informational and planning purposes in support of the agency’s Subterranean (SubT) Challenge. The SubT Challenge is interested in how innovative technologies can disrupt and positively impact how the subterranean domain is leveraged without significant cost or risk to human lives.

Virtual models supplied via this request for information may be incorporated into SubT Challenge Virtual Competition events, and/or leveraged to enhance the simulation capabilities found in the SubT Virtual Testbed.

“The innovative approaches teams advance in the SubT Challenge Virtual Competition can inform development and applications in the real world,” said Timothy Chung, program manager in DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office (TTO). “Being able to explore the impact of technologies in the simulation environment at a faster rate and scale is a direct and significant benefit to the development of physical systems.”

DARPA is looking for virtual models of vehicles with varying sizes, speeds, and methods of locomotion to provide diverse robots to the competitors of the SubT Challenge. Also of interest are virtual models of sensors and sensor software packages that may be useful in subterranean environments. These sensor packages must be compatible with the Ignition Gazebo simulator in order to be integrated into the SubT Tech Repo, which is a collection of diverse simulation assets used in the SubT Challenge. Additionally, DARPA is interested in available 3D simulation models of subterranean environments, such as meshes or point clouds of tunnel, cave, or urban underground environments.

DARPA may request respondents of interesting models to validate relevant characteristics (e.g., accuracy of sensors, speed of vehicles) before final integration into the SubT Virtual Testbed.

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